Kiamichi Country, Oklahoma
Tuskahoma, Bokchito, Kiamichi, Little River and Moon. Even the map reads like poetry in Southern Oklahoma, a timeless world where the gentle Ouachita mountains are shaded blue and rivers run wild. The name Ouachita comes from the Choctaw words Owa chito which means "big hunt" -- a tribute to the abundance of wildlife that still holds true. Deer, owls, raccoons, bobcats, red and gray fox and a hundred species of birds still flourish in the pristine wilderness; flying squirrels skitter along the treetops and black bears lumber out in spring to sun themselves on rocks. When the federal government relocated the Choctaw tribe to Indian Territory in the 1830s, Chief Pushmataha declared: "We have acquired from the U.S. here the best remaining territory west of the Mississippi." The natural barriers of the Winding Stair Mountains, the southern Kiamichis, the Jack Fork and San Bois Mountains created a remote world in southeastern Oklahoma, green and deep as the inside of an emerald. Moss beards the cypress trees that grow on the banks of the Mountain Fork River in Beavers Bend Resort Park and pine needles carpet the forest floor.
Explore Kiamichi Country
Red Slough Wetland Reserve Project
This premier birdwatching and waterfowl hunting area has sighted more than 270 bird species, including many that are rare to Oklahoma and not found elsewhere in the state. Birders have likened this area to the Gulf Coast habitats of Louisiana and Florida. The 5,814
Idabel, OK Wildlife PreservesMuseum of the Red River
The Museum of the Red River attracts both scholars and vacationers with its outstanding American Indian collections and informative exhibits. Local prehistory and early Indian history is featured, but the museum'
Idabel, OK MuseumsWildlife Heritage Center & Museum
The Wildlife Heritage Center Museum is a 3100
Antlers, OK Nature CentersRobber's Cave SP Cabins
Tucked into the woods at Robber's Cave State Park are 26 rustic cabins. 19 are designed to sleep four people. Eight of these cabins are duplexes (two connecting)
, OK CabinsPine Creek Corps Campgrounds
For camping and picnicking enthusiasts, developed parks along the lake shoreline offer boat launching ramps, fireplaces, picnic tables, campsites, sanitary facilities, and parking areas. Recreation facilities include 3 group shelters/electric hook-ups, 116
, OK Camping"Circus City USA"
To circus fans Hugo, Oklahoma is known as "Circus City USA" because it is winter quarters for three of America's largest Circuses: Carson & Barnes, Kelly-Miller & Culpepper-Merryweather. Hugo's Mount Olivet Cemetery is internationally famous for its Showman'
Hugo, OK Animal ParksRobber's Cave SP Nature Center
Housed in a natural stone bathhouse built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the nature center offers living displays of native animals and a schedule of activities. Whether it'
, OK Nature CentersPittsburg Co. Genealogical and Historical Society
Along with a display of early coal mining tools, the Historical Society contains a genealogical library and is available for research purposes. Numerous historical exhibits are featured including information and artifacts pertaining to Native American culture. The 1903 building is a
McAlester, OK MuseumsRobber's Cave SP Equestrian Trails
For those who want to explore on horseback, Robbers Cave State Park has nearly 50
, OK EquestrianWheelock Church
The old rock Wheelock church is the oldest church building in Oklahoma, built in 1846. Across the road is a cemetery, the final resting place of reverend Alfred Wright, physician and missionary to the Choctaw Indians who translated the New Testament and many other books into their native language.
Broken Bow, OK Historic Churches